FAQs

SHIPPING, HANDLING & EXPORT

WHERE DO YOU SHIP?

Currently we ship to United States and some countries. Please note: some countries have strict rules for importing live plants and some do not allow any plants to be imported.

HAS MY ORDER SHIPPED?

Click the "Account" link at the top right hand side of our site to check your order status.

WHEN WILL MY ORDER SHIP?

Your order will ship in the order it was received which can be from 1 to 7 business days. Business days means all days of the week except Saturday and Sunday.

Please note if weather in your surrounding area is below freezing, we will hold shipment until it is safe to ship it out and you will be notified of any delay. For domestic shipments, we like to ship on Monday and Tuesday so your package/s can get to you by Friday without any delays over the weekend. Please keep in mind that excessively hot weather may also cause shipping delays. We monitor the weather often to ensure your plants are being shipped out at weather permit-able conditions.

HOW WILL I KNOW MY ORDER HAS SHIPPED?

Once your shipping label has been generated, you will receive an email confirmation with tracking number. To obtain the status of an order, please visit our website and click on the link called "Find Orders" on the bottom of every page. You may also find your order information by logging into your account>Dashboard>View Orders>Track Your Order.

WHAT SHIPPING METHODS ARE AVAILABLE?

Currently, we use USPS Priority Mail for domestic orders and USPS Express Mail for international orders. If you would like to arrange a faster method, please email us at [email protected]. Please be advised that if you want a faster shipping method than USPS Priority Mail, you will be billed in full for that service before your order is shipped. We occasionally have shipping discounts on our website like 50% off shipping. These discounts are for Priority Mail only and if you want a faster Service like Express Mail, you must pay for it in full with no discount.

HOW DO I CHANGE QUANTITIES OR CANCEL AN ITEM IN MY ORDER?

Please e-mail us. Please note that once an order has begun processing or has shipped, the order is no longer editable.
Contact Customer Service at [email protected] if you need assistance.

HOW DO I CREATE AN ACCOUNT?

If you have not created an account, you can do so here: Create Account
Then simply follow the prompts to complete setting up your account. Your personal information is NEVER sold to any other company and is kept completely private. Please view our Privacy Policy for more information.

I FORGOT MY PASSWORD

Click the "Account" link at the top right hand side of our site. Under the login box you'll see a link that says "Forgot your password? Click here". That link will send an email to you with your password.

HOW MUCH IS SHIPPING?

Shipping is automatically calculated prior to submitting your payment information EXCEPT International orders. Simply add items to your cart and you will be offered shipping method choices and their prices.

International orders (outside of United States): Due to variable package weight & dimensions and Phytosanitary Certificate fee, International buyers must email us your plant list so we can make a custom invoice for you with appropriate shipping. Please include plant name, plant size and quantity. Email to [email protected]

ARE MY PLANTS PROTECTED ENOUGH DURING SHIPPING?

Yes. We use 72-hour heat packs during cold conditions. Currently, the heat pack is free of charge but that may change without notice. Heat packs are designed to raise temperature by only 10 degrees and require a fairly warm climate to get activated. We package each plant with care wrapping them in paper.

CAN YOU HOLD MY ORDER FOR LATER SHIPPING?

Yes. If this is related to weather conditions, we will hold your order as long as it takes. We want your plants to arrive safely and there will be no extra charge for this service.For any other reason, we will hold your order up to 1 month.

DO YOU GUARANTEE "ON-TIME" ARRIVAL?

No. we have no control over arrival date or time. If the package is late, you may file a claim with the shipping company.

WHAT IS A PHYTOSANITARY CERTIFICATE?

Phytosanitary certificates are issued to indicate that consignments of plants, plant products or other regulated articles meet specified phytosanitary import requirements and are in conformity with the certifying statement of the appropriate model certificate. Basically, a state inspector comes and checks your plants for pests before shipment and charges you $60, which we pass on to the customer. Most countries and 2 U.S. states (Arizona and Hawaii) require this inspection in order to receive plants.

CAN YOU SHIP C.I.T.E.S. REGULATED PLANTS OVERSEAS?

No. There are exceptions, but generally it is not worth the expense and effort to send CITES material. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

DO YOU CHARGE SALES TAX?

Yes, all Florida residents and any shipment to a Florida address is subject to sales tax. If you are a reseller, please email us a copy of a current Annual Resale Certificate for Sales Tax. Please note that up until we receive your certificate, you will be charged sales tax.

PLANTS

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HOW MANY PLANTS ARE IN STOCK?

On the product detail page, simply click on "Only _ left" and the small box will expand revealing available quantities next to the product's name like so:

WHAT SIZE PLANTS CAN I EXPECT?

We are proud to offer you multiple sizes of plants. Most bromeliads are sold by the label "Mature Plant", "Offset" or "_Pot Size" although we ship without soil or pot. "Pot Size" simply means the pot size that plant grew in or 'fits' that size pot (i.e. 5" pot). Some familiarity with the plants that you order is recommended. Before ordering plants, it is important you read each product's description page entirely so you know exactly what you are buying.

Here is an example of a certain size we offer. In this case, the label is "Mature Plant".

Other labels you will see on the product pages commonly used for Tillandsias are "Small", "Medium", "Large" or "Regular Size".

Here is an example of these types of labels:

Mature plants are established plants with a root system, not yet bloomed and half or full grown to their maximum capable size.

An offset is a shoot that develops at the base of the plant, rooting to form a new plant identical to its parent. Also called a "pup". Most offsets have less color than mature plants and may or may not have roots. An offset or cutting will also vary, depending on the variety of plant, but will always be ‘ready enough’ to be easily rooted and grown. We follow the basic bromeliad rule for cutting pups which is cutting them off when they are at least half the size of the mother plant. Smaller stoloniferous offsets are good for terrariums. Since offsets cost less than a mature plant, they are recommended for those who want to grow them up to mature plants themselves.

WILL MY PLANTS BE LABELED?

Yes. Each plant will be labeled with the correct botanical name. Orders with 5 or more of the same Tillandsias may be sent with one label for the batch.

WILL MY PLANTS BE BARE-ROOTED?

Yes. Bare-rooting is a common practice of removing the pot and soil from the plant. This eliminates weight and volume of a shipment and reduces damage to the tender foliage of bromeliads. Note that all shipments overseas require that plants be shipped fully bare rooted and washed free of soil. Some countries require all roots to be closely trimmed.

MY PLANT LOOKS DIFFERENT THAN THE PHOTO!

Note that when available, we post photos of mature, blooming plants to give a better idea of what the plant will become. The plants we photograph are ones very well grown in perfect conditions to achieve optimal shape and color. The plants we ship may not resemble the plant in the photo for various reasons, but the main reasons are; they are not mature or they are not grown in the exact same way.

All of our plants can be grown and ‘finished’ to resemble the plant in the photo. Many plants ‘blush’ or change colors when they bloom and if not blooming; your plant will not have these colors. Some plants may be coming off of fertilizer which gives them a green, colorless look. Patience is a good remedy for this.

WHAT DO I DO WHEN MY PLANTS ARRIVE?

Any plant in a box is stressed and dehydrated. Pot and water your plants immediately and keep in a shaded area to revitalize them. pot bromeliads (except Tillandsias) in a good mix that retains moisture yet drains well.

WHAT KIND OF POTTING MEDIUM SHOULD I USE?

Bromeliads need a loose, well-draining medium. Do not use garden soil alone, it almost never works causing root rot. What works for one person may not work for another because of different conditions. A popular mixture is one part fibrous peat moss, one part perlite and one part fine pine bark mulch and optional 1 part potting soil. Please refer to the care sheet for more information.

SHOULD I FERTILIZE MY PLANT?

Some fertilizer will help you have a healthy plant. Too much will give you greener, longer leaves than you want. when you first pot your bromeliad add some slow release fertilizer to get it off to a good start.

HOW MUCH SUN DOES A BROMELIAD NEED?

This depends on the genus your plant belongs to. If you are not sure of the identification you can use the leaves as a guide. Guzmania and Vriesea have smooth green leaves with no thorns. They only need filtered light and do not do as well in bright sunlight. The plants with thicker thorny leaves like Aechmea and Portea can take full sunlight. In-between plants like Neoregelia need some sunlight to develop the colors in the leaves.

WHAT DO I DO WHEN THE FLOWER STARTS DYING?

When the inflorescence becomes unsightly you can cut it off. The plant is still healthy and can be enjoyed for the foliage. You will notice small shoots growing from the base. These are new bromeliads which can be separated and planted.

I HEARD BROMELIADS ATTRACT MOSQUITOES. SHOULD I WORRY?

This is not all true and you shouldn’t worry. Mosquitoes are attracted to any stagnant water. Watering bromeliads regularly with fresh water will deter mosquitoes. If you have neglected bromeliads with leaf debris and old water for a long period of time, you may want to flush the old water out and give them fresh water.

MY BROMELIAD DIED, WHAT HAPPENED?

The most common problem with bromeliads is the lack or overabundance of water. In nature, most bromeliads live in moist, fast-draining media like coarse humus made of bark and leaf mold. If we keep their roots sitting in water or allow the water in the tank to go stagnant, rot will set in and kill the plant.
Overdrying is also a problem, since with certain potting mixes, the water runs straight through, and the mix remains dry. Try letting the pot sit in some water for about 30 minutes, then water over the top of the soil, letting water drain through. If your bromeliad has a tank, don't forget to flood the tank to flush out stagnant water.
Other ways bromeliads die are: Exposure to extremes of temperature, exposure to copper salts, murderous squirrels, scale insects, and the most perplexing -- unknown reasons.

MY PLANT HAS PRODUCED PUPS. WHAT DO I DO?

The temptation is to separate the sprout and plant it in some similar media. However, the timing of this can be crucial. Plants separated too early (too small) may flounder or die. Plants separated too late can be deformed by crowding. A good rule is to separate plants when the daughter plant (the pup) is at least 1/2 the size of the mother plant. Some genera, like Vriesia and Tillandsia do better when separated as a clump rather than as single pups. When removing a daughter plant, try to divide the two at the exact point where the daughter attaches to the main mother stem, or you could end up with a handful of loose leaves. The mother plant can be used to produce further offspring when repotted.

MY BROMELIAD HAS BEEN GROWING FOR 3 GENERATIONS AND HAS NEVER BLOOMED.

Some bromeliads just don't bloom very often. One example is the subfamily Pitcairnioideae, members of which can sometimes take a decade to bloom. Bromeliads that are raised for their attractive blooms and flower spikes can sometimes refuse to bloom due to suboptimal light. Try varying your light schedule (especially if you use artificial light) to reflect the seasonal light/dark changes. If all else fails, you can try forcing adult plants (don't force immature plants) to bloom by keeping it in a loose plastic bag with an apple for a week. The ethylene gas released by ripening fruit is a flowering hormone that can initiate blooming in reluctant plants. Keep in mind that forced blooms often seem less vibrantly colored or stunted, so it's usually best to allow plants to bloom on their own.

ARE BROMELIADS EDIBLE?

They may look pretty enough to eat but they are not suitable for consumption. The only bromeliad you can eat is the pineapple (Ananas).